From mountaintop vistas and thundering waterfalls to lakeside sunrises and the delicate detail of a forest fern, the photographs of Ansel Adams capture the incredible diversity, beaut, and wonder of the American landscape.

With his first visit to yosemite at the age of 14, Adams became deeply enchanted with nature and the land around him. During a career that spanned nearly 70 years, he dedicated himself to recording the power and splendor of the American wilderness in stunning black-and-white images. His artistic vision and masterful technique revolutionized the art of photography and opened the eyes of the American public to the country's natural treasures.

Collected here are more than 100 of the 225 photographs commissioned from Ansel Adams by the United States government in 1941. Their purpose was to serve as giant murals of the national park system in the Department of the Interior's museum, but they were never put on display. Today they are preserved in the National Archives.

With excerpts from the writings of naturalist John Muir, America's Wilderness bears timeless testimony to America's magnificent natural landmarks and to the man whose life's word memorializes them.